From: "Rich Gauszka" 

Some have had success in changing the product key with the tool linked to
on the wga forum  but it looks like you may have to have your installed key
recognized as "non-genuine" before you can use it.


http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=420092&SiteID=25

First, please verify if your COA sticker or product key
(http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/coa.mspx) matches your
Product Key being used on your system? You can view your product key with
the Genuine Advantage diagnostics tool (at least the last 15 digits)
located here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 .


The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for users
attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key to a genuine COA
sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409


"Robert Comer"  wrote in message
news:44a7f866{at}w3.nls.net...
>> I'm assuming the keyfinder.exe program that hasn't been updated since
>> 2003 just doesn't properly unencrypt the key number or is something else
>> at play here?
>
> That's not the problem, it's that Gateway used a generic key to do the
> install.  They do that to make it easier on the customer so he doesn't
> need to actually type that 16 character key in.   Easier for the
> customer, what a novel concept. 
>
> The trouble with this scenario is that if that generic key gets pick up by
> the pirates and marked as bad, then god forbid, you have to reinstall from
> restore media.  It's likely that neither the generic key (because it's
> pirated), nor your specific key (because it doesn't match the recover
> media) will work and you'll have to reactivate by phone, and hopefully it
> wont be after EOL of your particular restore media OS.  I've hit this
> particular problem on a thinkpad install, and while I was able to activate
> it over the phone (not the automated, but by a real person) it took quite
> some time and was a humiliating and frustrating experience.
>
> We've only seen the tip of the iceberg guys...
>
> --
> Bob Comer
>
>
> "Gary Britt"  wrote in message
> news:44a7f659$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>> Argggg.... matey. 
>>
>>
>> This is a laptop purchased last October from Gateway through HSN and has
>> never been in for re-install or repair and has never been restored or
>> reinstalled by me.  The keyfinder.exe CD Key is completely different from
>> the COA Key on the bottom of the laptop??
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> "Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
>> news:44a7efca$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>> Pirate!!!!
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>
>>> "Gary Britt"  wrote in message
>>> news:44a7ef3f$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>>>I tried the keyfinder.exe program that supposedly shows your windows
>>>>product key and it showed a key that is completely different from the
>>>>key on the sticker on the bottom of my laptop?
>>>>
>>>> Gary
>>>>
>>>> "/m"  wrote in message
>>>> news:1ldfa29d9rlnc0hnha6tapske44m61vju7{at}4ax.com...
>>>>> On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:45:30 -0500, "Geo"
 wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>"Adam Flinton"
 wrote in message
>>>>>>news:4221a503$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Esp if the virus makes it so no new number
will work. Imagine the
>>>>>>> "phone
>>>>>>> queues" of a global nature where people
are calling to re-init
>>>>>>> winxp.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>all it needs to do is change the serial number to a
random number. I
>>>>>>don't
>>>>>>think anyone realizes just easy it would be to
completely hose the
>>>>>>whole
>>>>>>product activation thing. Microsoft has designed
windows to watch to
>>>>>>see if
>>>>>>it was tampered with (that setting that changes
workstation to server)
>>>>>>and
>>>>>>they have now designed their strategy for updates
to depend on stuff
>>>>>>that
>>>>>>can be changed by software that executes on the
users machine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I've always thought this was a really nasty
security issue, first they
>>>>>>wanted the stupid serial number stickers on the
outside of the
>>>>>>computer
>>>>>>where anyone can see them, write them down, and
post them to the
>>>>>>internet
>>>>>>thus getting your key blacklisted. Second even if
you remove the
>>>>>>sticker
>>>>>>there are programs like
http://www.nthelp.com/40/productid.htm which
>>>>>>can
>>>>>>simply read the number and display it so you can
copy it down.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Imagine what would happen if the next big virus
changed this setting
>>>>>>to one
>>>>>>of the blacklisted serial numbers. It would
basically mean users have
>>>>>>to
>>>>>>reinstall to fix the problem and if you happen to
have an OEM version
>>>>>>which
>>>>>>now isn't going to let you reinstall without calling well...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>So when is MS going to realize that software piracy is a law
>>>>>>enforcement
>>>>>>issue and why it's a bad idea to take the law into
your own hands?
>>>>>>It's so
>>>>>>easy to frame users so that MS thinks they are
running pirated
>>>>>>windows..
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't think they are ever going to realize that.
>>>>>
>>>>> /m
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

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